Viral Hearts
by Kithrin
Summary: At the wedding, a misfortion with the Nubaan Mirror sends Ranma to another world, the world of Ar tonelico.  Watch as a four hundred year old girl's destiny changes. Mir/Ranma
1. Chapter 1: A Broken Mirror

Viral Hearts

Chapter 1: A Broken Mirror

AN: yes this is another story, but this plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone.

AN2: The Dragons Path, is on hold until I get evidence that enough people are actually reading it to put it higher on the priority list, since it only has around 300 hits for four chapters.

* * *

Weddings, they are supposed to be the happiest time in a persons life. _Usually_ they are a time of joy for all involved. Usually. This wedding however, was punctuated by explosions, insults, and swords. During most time-lines it would simply end in a ruined and canceled wedding with hard feelings all around. This time was different. This time something went wrong that would change people of two worlds.

*Clack* was the sound made when a broken magic mirror hit the ground, fallen from the ninja suit of an old man.

*Crack* was the sound of the mirror breaking further, and making some of the glass fragments stick up like small knives.

*Kaboom* went a explosive thrown by a puny petty pervert.

Ranma, distracted by the boy in a keno outfit wielding live steel was hit by the explosion and sent flying back, right on top of the shattered mirror.

The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed from one form to another, so despite the physical mirror being broken, its power was still there since it hadn't been used since it was broken. When Ranma hit the Nanban Mirror, and his blood, blood being considered a powerful magic catalyst, getting on the mirror shards, and a sound like, "Murrf," escaping his lips, the magic was expelled from the artifact in a single burst, sending him to a person close enough in name to the sound that had left his lips. The magic dissipating into the background after it's last use.

All that was left was some slightly bloody clothes.

* * *

The binary field, is a field running through a tower that was a marvel of engineering, over five kilometers tall, and nearly seven hundred years old. Most beings cannot enter, much less survive there, without special precautions, and in a particular section of the field is a girl with red eyes, pale skin, long thigh length black hair, and wearing her birthday suit, whom is normally kept asleep by a reyvateil singing a song named Chronicle key.

Looking around the binary field the girl felt something intrude in her section of the field. She then spotted the anomaly, a nude young man whom looked like he had seen better days by the scorch marks and blood, who was floating in the field. What drew her eyes to him most was that he was radiating a mixture of emotions much like her own, pain, sadness, anger, depression, and deep betrayal, all clearly felt with the fading multicolored light coming off of his body. He was also seeming to be fading, and small pieces of him disappearing slowly. Curiously there was another image super imposed on him, that of a shorter girl.

Moved by a slight bit of pity, empathy, and curiosity, she moved to save him. The damage was severe more so to the female form than the male. Using her ability to craft viruses, as well as the mutible nature of the binary field, the girl went to work. She started on the more severely damaged female form, separating it and melding a bit of her own DNA, as well as a bit of a specially created virus to patch up the damage. The male form just needed the virus. She wouldn't normally have done it that way, but it was necessary to not only save them, but so that they could survive as long as it takes to help them escape, especially since viruses could escape easier than she could, and perhaps they could in turn help her escape.

"Let's hope this works," she whispered as she moved away. A smile quirked her lips as she started to wait and watch the two figures integrating the new parts of themselves. "even if they're trapped here until I get out, at least I won't be alone anymore."

Hours passed slowly as the two figures' bodies tried to adapt to the additions. The bodies fluctuated from being normal, to completely hideous monsters. After half a day the two started being in the more human side of the spectrum more than the monstrous side. A day after the alterations the fluctuations had died down a bit, focusing more on the human form than any other. A day later the two were in their apparently human forms and not changing.

Half a day later the male groaned and sat up, when he opened his eyes and looked at the waiting girl who saved his life, the girl saw that he had evidence that he wasn't completely human. His eyes were wrong looking. The whites of his eyes were now silver, and the pupil had a red slit, kid of like a cat eye, while the rest of the pupil, as well as the blue of his eyes remained the same.

On his part he noticed three things first off about the person he set his eyes on. The three things were:

1: Person in front of him was female.

2: She was naked.

3: She was cute.

He turned around instantly as one and two clicked, and blushed wen he realized three, and said, "Sorry I didn't mean to look!"

"What are you apologizing for? Unless you think I'm ugly," she said while narrowing her eyes.

"No, no, no, your cute, it's just, well most girls I know would get violent if I looked at them without clothes," the boy explained hurriedly.

"I see, no problem I have no issues with looking, because I'm not ashamed of my looks, and the name's Mir, and you can turn around. I will not get mad, well unless you try something, besides, you have no clothes yourself," Mir said.

When he stayed where he was so Mir bit out sharply, "Please turn around, I want to see the face of whom I'm dealing with."

He looked down, and covered his privets, before turning around, actually shocked that she was more angry at him for _not_ looking than if he was staring. Slowly turning around he once agin got a eye full of the sixteen year old looking girl in front of him, as well as the annoyed face she had. "I'm Ranma Saotome sorry bout this."

"Whats to be sorry about? I'm more curious on how you got into my prison, why you had two forms, and who is that," Mir replied pointing to the other body which was just starting to stir.

Ranma looked at where she was pointing and blinked. "That's my cursed form, how is it there?"

"Cursed form?" the black haired girl said curiously.

"Ummm, couple years ago pops took me to a training ground Jesenkyo. It had many small pools, and a person that falls into into it takes form of what drowned there when hit by cold water, hot water reverses the change," Ranma explained tiredly for what seemed like the hundredth time since he acquired his curse while assuming a sitting potion in the ether. "as to why she's over there, I have no clue.

"That was me, you two were dieing, so I took desperate measures to save you, and in the process split you and her up, not knowing what the double form meant. Now, how did you get here?" Mir asked.

"Don't know I was at the wedding that my father conned me and Akane into, it degenerated in a fight, got hit by an explosion, next thing I know I was here looking at a cute naked girl," Ranma then flinched and covered his head waiting for a blow.

I see, well your stuck here with me for a bit, so lets wake up the sleeper and find out what she knows. As well as what splitting you two apart did," Mir said after a moments contemplation. She then moved over to the cringing Ranma, which caused him to cringe further, and pecked him on the cheek. Leaving the shocked boy touching his cheek, as that was one of the first kisses he had received from a girl not determined to drag him to the alter, she walked to the red head, and grabbed her nose and mouth. Now, while Ranma had the ability to fight in his sleep, it was limited to those that had hostile intent, and since Mir wasn't radiating anything but curiosity, she succeeded in capturing her target. The fact that her air was cut off made Ranma-chan wake up.

Ranma-chan's first reaction gave the black haired girl a serious case of deja-vu.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to look," the red haired girl said as she presented her back to Mir.

Mir sighed and rubbed her temples, she knew that if she was in a physical body she would've had one hell of a headache. She quickly summarized the conversation she had had with Ranma. And while waiting for the red haired girl to process the information, caught a glimpse of the girls eyes. They were the same as the male Ranma's. She paled as she saw something unexpected on the mall of the red heads back, an installer port.

"So, now I'm a girl permanently because you saved my life without knowing my situation, right?" Ranma-chan said nearly in hysterics.

"Yes, isnt that better than dead? And I'm afraid that's not all..." Mir started somewhat nervously, since she would have to be with these two for a while antagonizing them wouldn't be good.

Ranma-chan slowly calmed down as she had realized the point that had just been made. "What do you mean that's not all?" she asked semi calmly.

"You were worse off than him," Mir started while jerking her thumb at the male Ranma. "So I used some of my own DNA as a template for the repair. It accidentally changed you into a reyvateil which I didn't _mean_ to do."

"What's a reyvateil?" Male Ranma asked.

"How could you not know Ranma?" the black haired girl asked archly.

"I don't know," Ranma-chan said.

"Stop, I'll explain, but first," Mir stopped and pointed at Ranma-chan. "You need a new name so that when we get out you're not going to confuse everybody you come across if you stick with him," she finished by pointing at Male Ranma.

"Umm, okay, what name though?" Ranma-chan asked.

"How about Ranko?" Male Ranma asked then winced as the memories of why they used that name flooded his mind.

"No, I don't think we want to be overly reminded of that particular set of incidents," Ranma-chan said wincing herself.

"Raizna?" the black haired girl said remembering a redheaded friend from before she was sealed away.

Ranma-chan nodded slowly at the name, and replied, "That'll do I guess."

"Now a reyvateil is a artificial human with the ability to use song magic. All reyvateils are female, and have to have a specific genetic sequence. Having the Y-chromosome deactivates the reyvateil genes. In general, reyvateils tend to be weaker physically than humans, so they require someone to defend them in combat. There are three types of reyvateils origins which tend to be considered the strongest, betas like myself, and presumably Raizna, which are next down in power, although in some ways I exceed the origins. Lastly the third generations which are born from union of a reyvateil and a human male. Third generations have short lives unless they receive a life extender every three months," Mir lectured all the while thinking that she finally had someone to talk to after nearly 400 years.

The two looked at the bane of her towers existence blankly, causing the black haired one to sigh, and say, "I'll explain in greater detail later, trust me we have plenty of time. Now I think we should get to know each other."

And so ended the solitary confinement of Mir, and a few great headaches for everybody involved.

* * *

End Chapter

End Note: yes I know there are physically capable reyvateils in Ar tonelico 2, but most if not all of them are IPDs which don't exist in the first tower.

End Note 2: Link to rough sketch of Ranma's and Raizna's new eyes on bottom of profile.


	2. Chapter 2: Release

Viral Hearts

Chapter 2: Release

AN: Spoilers for Ar tonelico 1, part of the chapter I don't see going much different.

AN2: if the timeline's don't make sense remember the Nanban Mirror travels both temporally and spatially.

Five years later...

"Misha, please sing Harmonious," a young man in white armor said to a girl wearing purple with drums in her hair, while holding a sword. His companions, a Reyvateil in a white leotard, a cyborg gunslinger with a green cowboy hat, another Reyvateil wearing a pink and white dress with a short skirt, a young girl wielding a large chainsaw, another man in white armor wielding a spear, and a samurai in red armor with two swords, were arranged behind him.

As the named woman wearing purple started to sing the hymn,two naked girls and a naked man surrounded by a spherical energy field appeared, then was encased in what looked like a metal ball near the stomach area of a giant white monster. The floating monster has several sets of what looked like breasts in its chest, a long gray neck leading up to the head, two arms, two relatively stumpy legs, had a tail that went below its feet,and moving fin like projections along part if its back. The group opposing the monster had to shake off their confusion at the extra figures as the fight started.

The battle was long and arduous, but eventually the three Reyvateils smashed the monster with a combined magic attack. This caused the three figures to appear, two of them unconscious fell to the ground.

"Mir you're just an innocent girl," The armored man said as he approached the naked floating girl while sheathing his sword.

"Lyner! Are you alright?" asked the leotard wearing girl.

"Humans... go away..." Mir responded angrily and blasted him back with a shockwave.

"No! Mir is still..." the spear wielder began.

"Wait! Please, wait!" the young man whom had just been blasted back exclaimed as he got up. "Don't attack Mir... no matter what.

"Then, what are we supposed to do!" The leotard wearing girl exclaimed angrily.

"Just... trust me. And, don't do anything," the man said calmly and started to approach again, then paused noticing how she had positioned herself in front of the two figures on the ground. This made him think of how he acted when defending others. So, taking a different tack than he had originally planned he said, "I won't hurt you or your friends, Please live with us in this world, and allow us to help you and your friends."

Mir hesitated for a momentsshe had noticed that the transition from the binary field to reality had been rougher on her companions thanherself. But, she had remembered her own treatment, and the description of Ranma's life from before they had met...

* * *

Flashback

Ranma had just finished relating the train wreck that was his eighteen years of life, and was looking at the girl he was facing to gauge her reaction. He had never really told anyone his full story, especially since nobody seemed to really care enough to ask.

Most of the time the black haired girl didn't really care about humans, but the story she had just been told was one of physical and mental abuse, false friendships, betrayal, and hardship. All of which meant... Mir was pissed, while she _had_ been treated worse, it had been by strangers, _not_ family and friends. While she had thought she had known the meaning, and implications, of the first word, she never actually had one. As to friends, she had had a few, but the few she had she could trust with her life. She had a slight smile as her thoughts turned somewhere that she once thought impossible...

"What about you, Mir, How did you get trapped here?" Raizna asked speculatively interrupting the other girl's train of thought.

Mir lost her smile, and while she didn't really want to talk about it, started to speak of her own past and how she ended up trapped here all because these two had a right to know whom they were stuck with, all while she was thinking, _I might be able to train these two to be good companions._

End Flashback

Mir's eyes narrowed as she responded, "... You expect me to believe that after all this time, and how you humans treated your own kind?"

"Wha...?" Lyner began.

"Don't come near us!" the black haired girl screamed, then she formed a purple energy barrier and prepared to attack.

"I've been selfish... and caused everyone so much trouble..." The sword wielder said apologetically. "But, this is the last time. Please do one me favor for me. Don't attack Mir or her friends, just attack the barrier around her. We can't stop Mir's Song Magic,so it'll be coming at you really fast. I know it's gonna be tough, but you gotta hang in there Aurica, Misha, Lady Shurelia! The worst that can happen is that we'll all be destroyed, but I believe in you and Mir. So... please!"

Most of the group concentrated on the barrier and the Reyvateils, after feeling Mir's first round of song magic kept healing and defensive spells going. After a time of pounding on the barrier, and dodging the veritable swarm of song magic, it fell with a flash of light.

After the flash died down the black haired girl fell to her knees in exhaustion.

"Mir you've had a hard life," The sword wielder said gently, "I'm sorry, let's get you three some help."

Mir's eyes teared up as she began to sing.

"This song..." the blond sword wielder started.

"Is it one that Mir crafted?" the leotard wearing girl asked.

"I don't know why, but..." Misha continued.

"It's so... comforting..." the girl dressed in pink said softly as she continued to listen to the song.

* * *

Later on, the three of them were in a hotel room in Platina. Ranma and Raizna had been convinced to dress by Shurelia and Lyner. It took them awhile to remember why they had to be dressed, but eventually they recalled that they were supposed to be dressed in public.

"Damn, I can't believe I forgot about that. I suppose five years being naked with two naked girls kinda screwed up the priorities. Right, Raizna?" Ranma said embarrassed.

"I guess, not that I had feminine modesty to start with," the redhead replied fingering the modest green dress she had been supplied with. "Now I need something other than this dress to wear. I may be a girl from now on, but I ain't into dresses."

"Yes, if I must wear something, I would like it to be something less bulky," Mir chimed in as she was also wearing a dress of nearly the same cut, except hers was black.

Ranma, dressed in some of the swordsman Lyner's, spare outfits stripped of the metal armor parts hesitantly said, "Lyner and Shurelia, gave me some money for clothes, I guess we could go now if you want."

"Let's go then," Raizna put in unenthusiastically.

"Before we go, I want to make you two something. You two need something to give you advice, so here," the black haired girl said before creating two small viruses. The two viruses looked like a sphere with constantly changing lumps about half a foot tall. One was blood red, the other deepest black. "Here, they're limited to yes or no, but they can give fairly good advice beyond that when I'm not here."

"Let's go, I want something a bit less stuffy myself," Ranma said nervously as the black shape floated toward him. "are they safe?"

"Yes, I made them non offensive so we wouldn't get in trouble," Mir explained offhandedly, not that she really cared about that, but it would be too much of a pain to have to fight again so soon after being released.

"Let's go then," The redhead said and led them out the door.

* * *

An hour later, the trio was back in the room with a few outfits apiece. Ranma had gotten a few nicely fitting black cargo pants, black and red tank tops, and at Mir's insistence a set of light armor. Mir had gotten a black and red leotard-like outfit, that was custom made at the suggestion from someone she had met in town named Spica. Raizna had picked up an outfit that consisted of a crimson leotard type outfit similar to Shurelia's with black gloves, and black calf high flat soled boots

"So, what's the plan?" Mir asked, as _she_ didn't really have any after her original kill all humans plan was derailed. "And we really need to work on your fear of cats," she commented wryly.

"I need to train, I lost quite a bit of strength with what happened when we met," Ranma replied, meanwhile the black sphere turned into a gray octahedron and said, "**Yes**."

"I had better practice my own abilities as well," Raizna said. "and see whether I can get my own strength up," she finished while her own sphere turned into a green octahedron with a "**Yes**."

"I know you two like training, but isn't there anything else you can think of?" Mir asked with a sigh.

"**No**," both spheres said as they changed colors again into a mass of spikes. Black went to blue, and red went to purple. The two shifting forms' answers caused Mir to sweat drop.

"We were planning on training while exploring, since the one thing pops had right was that anything can be made into training," Ranma explained. "besides, for some reason I don't think this world is particularly safe..."

"**Yes**," a black sphere sounded while changing shape and color.

Mir smirked at that last comment, and nodded. "I see your point, and yes this place can be dangerous, but before we leave you should pick up some weapons. I know you prefer hand to hand, but some trouble can be avoided by going armed."

"I did pick something up earlier, all that time with no real opponents as well as other factors made me lose my edge a bit, so I grabbed these," Ranma said with a smirk, as he pulled out a pair of tonfa. They were of high quality redwood.

"I expected something with a blade for when no option but killing exists such as wild animals," the black haired Reyvateil said archly.

"Yes," the black shape chimed in as Ranma smirked and pulled at the long section of the tonfa, which came away with a slight *click* revealing that there was a hidden blade nearly half a foot long. "Well?"

Mir nodded at him. "Good choice. They seem like they could be useful. Now let's go."

The three packed up their new clothes, and headed out, only to be stopped outside the hotel by Lyner and Shurelia.

"Where are you three going," Lyner asked curiously.

"Just going to explore the tower, isn't that right?" Ranma said, and the two spheres went eight sided and chimed out, "Yes."

"What are..." Shurelia started as she narrowed her eyes.

"Something I created so they always have something to ask for advice, don't worry they're mostly harmless," Mir explained.

"Mostly?" Lyner asked.

"Yes, I suppose they can be dangerous if you hug them when they disagree with you, right black?" Mir answered calmly.

"Yes," The black sphere responded.

"Show me this dangerous form," Shurelia said suspiciously.

"No," both orbs said quickly.

Both of the two asking the questions blinked and realized that it was true, that unless someone was actually in contact with the orbs they couldn't be hurt by them, at least if what Mir said was true.

Lyner, deciding to put his money where his mouth was said somewhat nervously, "I trust you Mir, just try not to cause trouble, okay? Have a nice trip as well."

Mir blinked in surprise, she had expected him to start yelling, and demanding that her creations be destroyed. She then nodded and set off to where the airship was docked.

"Bye Lyner-san, Shurelia-chan," Ranma said as he followed the black haired girl.

"See ya, Lyner-san, Shurelia-chan," Raizna chimed in as she followed the other two.

"Chan?" Shurelia asked.

"San?" Lyner responded.

Both shrugged at the unusual titles, and left to finish up theirbusiness in town now that they had visited the three.

"I wonder," Lyner started. "If those two are like Ayatane, they don't _seem_ to be, but..."

"I don't know, we can only hope they don't cause trouble. Now let's get to the dive shop, I found another story you might be interested in," the silver haired girl said.

* * *

For the next year, the trio explored the tower, as well as the half torus called The Wings of Horace and the floating island Firefly Ally. During this time Ranma and Raizna worked to restore their edge. Raizna had far greater problems with the physical training than did Ranma. Ranma had nearly returned to his previous condition, while Raizna was only at a fifth of the power level physically. Although with her song magic she ended up being able to fight with Ranma in battle on nearly equal terms.

Often times during the trip Mir thought her companions were crazy. As they stuck there hands into fires, bashed themselves with boulders, and sought out strong things to fight. Although she did feel herself becoming closer to the two.

At the end of the year an event happened that would cause chaos in two worlds. The event was a circle of light with mystical patterns around the edge appearing below the three, and after a flash of light, the circle and the three figures were gone from that world.

End note1: I didn't have inspiration for the parts I glossed over, sorry.

End note 2: Cliffhanger, ain't I a stinker?


	3. Chapter3:Confrontations on a Roof

Viral Hearts

Chapter3:Confrontations on a Roof

**ATTENTION: challenge on my profile**.

AN: remember if the timeline doesn't make sense the Nanbaan mirror travels temporally and spatially.

AN2: Ranma may act differently, but remember he spent 6 years with Mir, who ISN'T the nicest person, although in Ar tonelico 2 she's not bad, so some of her attitude is bound to rub off on him.

* * *

It was a quite night of mid-July, but the quite darkness didn't last long as a large magic circle, approximately fifty feet in diameter, appeared over a building, and then with a loud CRACK it disappeared, depositing a pile of three bodies.

"Get Off!" a male voice shouted from the pile.

"Sorry Ranma," The red headed female replied as she maneuvered herself off the top of the pile of bodies. She was as careful as possible to not step on the ones in the pile.

"Fine, but how did I end up in the middle, and why did we end up stacked up at all?" the black haired girl grouched as she got off of Ranma.

"Okay, now where are we?" Ranma asked as he got up. After he was standing he started stretching his back to get rid of the crick caused by two bodies, along with their packs, landing on him.

The three of them took off their packs whale they gained their bearings.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," Raizna said angrily while staring at a wall.

"**No,** " the red sphere stated as it changed shape.

"What's wrong Raizna?" Ranma asked.

"I wonder that too, this place doesn't look that bad," Mir commented.

"Ranma, Doesn't this location look familiar?" the redhead asked.

"No, why do you as..." Ranma started, but stopped as he saw the wall that Raizna was looking at. "You've got to be shitting me."

"Whats wrong with that wall?" Mir asked curiously as she walked over to the wall. Upon inspection she commented, "Hey there's a imprint of a person with a sword there."

"A week before we were sent to you, we implanted a moron here," Raizna started.

"And since it hasn't been repaired yet," Ranma continued.

"Don't tell me, it means that it hasn't been that long since you left, right?" Mir said wearily. She then brightened and said," That means I can show these people my... displeasure with how they treated you."

Ranma looked toward where he knew a certain Chinese restaurant was, and said in a deadpan tone, "We have incoming."

Suddenly a purple haired bombshell and a withered crone on a stick hopped on top of the building the trio was on.

"So son in law, how did you manage to throw off our summoning to the point that you landed on top of Furinkan instead of in our restaurant?" the crone asked with a cackle as more people started jumping on top of the roof.

First came a fat man in a dirty white GI whom was carrying a woman with auburn hair and wearing a kimono. The woman was also holding onto a long wrapped object.

Next came two people whose first words were, " Ranma pre..." and were both knocked out. The boy wearing white robes was knocked out by the purple haired girl, and the boy wearing a yellow shirt, yellow bandana with black spots, and a large backpack was knocked out by the crone.

Lastly, from the stairs came some of the slowest members of the group, namely a girl with blue hair, and a girl with long chestnut hair..

"Ranma you jerk! How dare you vanish and come back with those hussies!" the blue haired girl shouted.

This of course brought shouts of outrage, threats, death threats from the boys whom had just woken up, accusations, shouts of manliness, words about schools, and a variety of different opinions.

"And here I thought you two were joking," Mir whispered to Raizna.

"Nope," Raizna said while sighing.

Ranma, who had gotten accustomed to a quieter life, finally had enough after nearly ten minutes of shouting, and was knew he would be unable to escape shouted, "_**QUITE!"**_ the bellow that he released, along with the red slit in the center of his eye that started glowing, which was quite noticeable in the dark, was enough that it brought the fighting to a halt. He then continued in a more normal voice, "Now that I have your attention. I want to know, why the _hell_ did you bring me back here?"

The two spheres, Raizna's and Ranma's, which might have started interjecting 'looked' at each other before flying out of the way unnoticed by anyone there.

"Son in law, it took all of use to use the artifact that brought you back here, so is that really the attitude that you should be taking with us?" the old crone said sternly.

" Shut it old ghoul, you made the assumption that I _wanted_ to come back. I was happy where I was, with friends that care for me, not just enemies that want to harm, kill, and/or control me, which is everyone here!" Ranma finished hotly.

"Airen how can you say that about me your wife!" the purple haired girl said angrily.

"I am not your husband you pea brained twit, this isn't your backwater, ass backwards, stink-hole of a village," Ranma sneered as his anger kept rising. His anger of course stemming from the fact that before he was summoned he had friends, and people whom adopted him into there family, actually he had two offers for adoption, one of which he took.

This pronouncement was met with different reactions, well different after the common first reaction of shock due to his tone, and words. With the exception of four people the pronouncement was met with satisfaction. The four people were the Amazons, and the auburn haired women.

"Now son..." she started in a disapproving tone of voice.

"Don't call him that," Raizna sneered.

This of course brought attention to her, and to everybody's shock they recognized her as Ranma's cursed form. "Yes I'm separated from him by a freak accident, no it's not reversible, and no I don't count myself as related to those two," the redhead finished angrily while pointing at the fat man and the auburn haired woman.

"Neither do I," Ranma added scornfully.

"Son, why?" The woman asked shocked.

"Cause I recently saw a real mother, actually many real mothers, in my time away. I asked there opinion on a certain _contract_ I was tricked into finger painting on by the worthless blob of fat you married. Every single one was disgusted. I hereby renounce the Saotome name, and _all_ obligations, that come with it. Don't like it? Take it up with the panda! And Nodoka, you can take that stupid seppuku contract and shove it," Ranma sneered out, as he took Mir's advice that she gave him during the time they were sealed away.

Flashback one year after Ranma met Mir:

"Ranma," Mir started.

"Yes Mir?" he replied.

" I managed to get you to tell me much of your life, so I have to ask. Why do you put up with all the crap? Why don't you just tell those girls to shove off? Why do you even _think_ of following a contract that you weren't old enough to even read when you supposedly signed it, and made by a man that repeatedly broke his honor?" Mir grilled him.

"Family honor..." Ranma started to reply.

"Your family honor is dead. It was broken when your father made two engagements, and his every other action just finished shattering it beyond repair, the cat fist, more engagements, the thefts, and many other instances," Mir interrupted.

"Well... I..." Ranma started trying to come up with a reason that he couldn't blow everyone off.

"Just think on it, and when we get out, look at other parents, and ask them their opinion on just the contract," Mir suggested.

"Fine I will," Ranma said, fully expecting that the other parents, like the Tendo's, would say the contract was okay.

He couldn't have been more wrong...

End flashback.

"Boy! Stop talking nonsense and marry a Tendo!" the Fat man bellowed.

"Shove it Genma, give us one good rational reason to listen to you!" Raizna declared.

"I'm his father," Genma replied

"I just declared myself out of the Saotome family, so no your not," Ranma coldly replied.

"Family honor..." Genma started aggressively.

For the first time in the current conversation Mir spoke up, "Family honor, as I understand it, is only affected by family members, and since he isn't one anymore..."

"The burden of the shattered Saotome family honor is squarely on the backs of the two remaining Saotomes," Ranma finished coldly.

"Who is that hussy Ranma?" Akane yelled as she moved to hit the boy.

" She's Mir, and she is not a hussy, she is the first _true_ friend that I ever had, and just about the only girl I would consider going beyond that with," Ranma said with an edge to his voice.

**BANG!**

Suddenly the argument that had been brewing was interrupted by the door to the roof being slammed open. As all eyes turned toward the door they saw a young woman there with brown hair in a page boy cut. She was wearing casual bluejeans and a plain black shirt. Upon seeing Ranma, her eyes narrowed as she focused in on him.

"Ranma, do you have any idea how much money that you owe me?" she hissed venomously.

" Owe you?" Ranma asked curiously. "I don't _owe_ you anything."

"You owe me, for the destruction caused at the wedding, the last two months of profits lost due to your disappearance, and the interest on both!" The new comer started screaming as she stalked angrily up to Ranma and got into his face as she finished.

**SMACK**

Only to be lightly, for Ranma, backhanded away. "_**SHUT UP, Nabiki!**_ I don't owe you shit. _You _owe_ me_ for nearly three years of exploitation, invasion of privacy, extortion, and trouble that you either _caused _ or made _worse_!"

Nabiki was looking at Ranma in shock. _Never_ had anyone raised a hand against her for her actions. She ruled her school by fear, a fear that no longer existed in the eyes of the one she considered a dumb jock.

"Ranma you jerk, how dare you hit my sister!" Akane screamed and then ran at him with a clearly telegraphed punch, a charge that was intercepted by a kick to right below the sternum. The kick connected solidly, and caused Akane to drop to her knees while hyperventilating.

"Ranma how dare you hurt Akane!" the bandanaed youth yelled, whom was waiting patiently as per the deal that was made when Ranma was summoned snapped and attacked the part virus youth. "Prepare to die!"

This challenge, which six years ago in Ranma's time, or two months ago in everybody else's time, would've been met by jokes, taunts and fists was met by a different set of instincts. These new instincts of Ranma's were caused by a year of having to fight things actually trying to kill him, and many of them needed to be killed for his own safety and the safety of his companions.

Thus Ranma grabbed his tonfa, which he had upgraded to that the blades now are spring loaded and emerge from the short end of the tonfa, and struck while hitting the blade release.

Drip...

the sound of liquid dropping was met by silence as Ranma's blade had entered the shoulder of his foe, and damaged the rotator cuff. "Ryoga," Ranma started, with the red slit in the middle of his pupil glowing. "Attack me again, and it _will_ be your last time, I am through with your shit, Akane attacked my first, so take your head out of your ass."

"Now as for the rest of you leave us alone, we are going to find a place to camp before leaving Nerima to find a way back home," Ranma finished as he sheathed his tonfa after retracting the blade, grabbed his pack, and started walking to the door with his sphere following.

Raizna, and Mir did the same, leaving a roof full of speechless people, some of which never had their own confrontation with the male of the departing trio.

"What we do now, great grandmother?" The purple haired girl asked in tears.

"I don't know Shampoo, this is a bit of a mess. Unfortunately you need to claim him within the week, and thanks to the blasted council it needs to be done without drugs, or magic," the old woman sighed.

"Why?" Nodoka, who has been in tears since Ranma tore into her , asked.

"I don't know, Nodoka-san, but I think we all screwed up somewhere," the girl with the giant spatula said.

The white robed figure was doing something unusual for him. He was thinking. _Ranma just basically ended all the engagements, and told Shampoo, that in to uncertain terms, that he isn't going to marry her. On the other hand, if she doesn't get him to agree in a week she'll be punished. Another factor is that Ranma now has no problems injuring his opponents. I need to think of what I need to do._

* * *

End Note: I'm trying to get back into writing.

End Note 2: Ranma was in a place with different rules on survival, and in the company of a rather ruthless woman for nearly a quarter of his life, so he would change his attitude over time.


	4. Chapter 4: Reactions

Viral Hearts

Chapter 4: Reactions.

On the way out of the school Ranma bumped into an elderly figure wearing a business suit.

"Hey, watch it," the man said.

Ranma just looked at him, with one hand on one of his weapons. He then took a deep breath, to calm his temper slightly, and replied, "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere, goodbye."

The old man noticed the deep breath and realized that the young man must have been upset about something, and nodded. "Don't worry about it, I understand that sometimes anger can give a person tunnel vision, mind if I have a name?" He then noticed the two girls following and continues, as well as your two companions. _Suspicious boy isn't he?_ He thought after noticing that the pigtailed boy never took his hand off of his weapon.

"Ranma," the Pigtailed young man replied warily, his hand tightening on his weapon. "Why?"

"Ah, just who I was looking for," the man replied.

Ranma halted and drew one of his tonfa while turning to face the man. "Bitch or bastard?" he asked while setting into a combat stance.

"Excuse me? And calm down I don't mean to fight," the old man said calmly in an attempt to placate the angry young man.

"Was it the Bastard Genma that did something to you expect me to do something for you, or marry a relative, or the bitch Nodoka?" Ranma asked scathingly as he extended his tonfa's blade, and Mir and Reizna moved into support positions and attempted to decide on the best song to sing.

"Nothing like that," the man hastily said. "I'm your grandfath..."

"Stay back," Ranma interrupted angrily. " Don't care which parent you're related to, Stay away from me. You're bastard of a son or bitch of a daughter fucked up my life enough, I don't need _you_ to make my life worse, so forget that you ever saw me. In fact, forget that I ever existed at all," The pigtailed man said as he backed away from the old man, the girls doing the same behind him.

The old man, shocked that he was getting treated like that by his own grandson, whom was insulting his child, watched as the three moved around the corner vanished from sight.

His anger peaking, he started the walk to the school roof, to confront his daughter.

Half an hour later saw the dimensionally crossed trio sitting at a park bench discussing their situation.

"Well I sneaked back into the Tendo house to snag my stuff, now what?" Ranma asked of his two female companions.

"Hey, what about that guy we kept saving? He did tell us that if we needed anything..." Raizna asked.

"AH, Yaminaki-san I have his card in our pack," Ranma replied as he started rummaging in his pack.

"Yaminaki-san?" Mir asked Reizna as Ranma started taking things out of his pack.

"Akane used to hit us to other districts, and this guy _always_ seemed to be in danger when we landed. From cars, thugs with knives, gunmen, ect, ect. We would save him, walk him to his car, then head home," came Reizna's matter of fact reply.

Mir contemplated that and suddenly heard a feint but clearly audible "_**WHAT!?**_" coming from the direction of the school. Mir looked at the direction of the school with a raised eyebrow then shrugged.

"What can a man do when he had _that_ much bad luck?" the black haired woman asked.

"Got it!" Ranma crowed as he started repacking his pack, "Lets go see the man we saved."

His black adviser zoomed in and went diamond with a, "Yes," then resumed the game of tag that was initiated between the two multifaceted spheroids.

Meanwhile, on top of the roof of the school, an argument was brewing.

"Nodoka," the old man started angrily. "Why, was my grandson ready to attack me, expecting I was going to try and ruin his life when he heard I was either your, or Genma's father?"

"Well I..." Nodoka started, when she was interrupted by a person whom was hiding and observing the whole incident.

"I can explain that... son," a shriveled old man said tiredly.

"Father, I thought I told you to stay away from me and my family," the old man growled through clenched teeth.

Happosai looked at is estranged son and sighed. "I won't apologize, I didn't even know he was your grandson until Nodoka came around, and by then I had declared him my heir. Now you wanted an explanation.

First I'll start with Genma, he apparently liked to make engagements for Ranma based on honor, and didn't care that he was besmirching the honor of his adoptive family at the same time. He also did many insane training regimes, some I would even balk at. He, and Soun, I'm ashamed to say, also foisted off any other responsibility off on him, even saving the man's daughter wasn't Soun's or Genma's responsibility. Say what you like about me Sei, but even you can't deny I made sure you were safe and cared for.

Nodoka is a completely different issue, but I can see why Ranma either is pissed at her, or hates her, and by extension you. Before Genma took Ranma on a ten year training trip, Genma drew up a contract and signed it, and had a two year old Ranma place a ink hand print on it."

"And the contract terms?" Sei asked tersely

Nodoka interrupted nervously by saying, "That's not important, we need to catch Ranma."

"Nodoka, be quiet, I'm talking to my father," the stern grandfather said, causing the woman to back off.

"The terms were, that Ranma would, after a ten year training trip starting at age six, be a 'man among men' or they would both commit seppuku, and she fully intended to hold them to it, and has been practicing the beheading strike with the honor blade," Happosai calmly declared.

"_**WHAT!?**_ Nodoka, what is the meaning of this?" Sei shouted angrily.

"It's a matter of honor," Nodoka said primly.

"As head of the family, I declare that contract null and void in relation to Ranma, due to the fact he couldn't have understood what he was finger painting on. I also declare all engagements null and void, due to lack of authority to make them. Not that I think this matters, his attitude leads me to believe that he will be leaving the family." Sei said authoritatively with a trace of disgust in his voice.

"Sei, we may be estranged, but you forgot _**I**_ am family head, but it just so happens I agree," Happosai declared. Now I'm going to find my heir, he needs to know this information, and I have a gift for him as well." the little man bounded off soon after he finished his speech.

"Father..." Nodoka started but was cut off

"Go home Nodoka, we _will_ talk later." the remaining old man said. "Now what about the rest of you?"

The rest of the people on the roof whom were watching the drama in silence started babbling all at once.

"One at a time," the man said with absolute authority, belying his old, non martial arts body, then he pointed at a cross dressing girl with a large spatula. "You first."

"Sir, I'm Ukyo, one of your grand sons fiancees..."

"Former you mean, but continue."

"I was wondering if you would accept me as his fiancee," she asked polity.

"No I'm going to have enough trouble trying to connect with him due to my family, throwing him head first back into his problems wont' help me. You next," he pointed to Akane, leaving a silent Ukyo behind.

"I'm glad to see the back of that perverted womanizer," Akane said in a huff.

"Fine, You," he pointed at Nabiki, Akane looked shocked that the man wasn't going to try and argue with her.

"He owes me money," she simply said.

"For what?"

"When he left I couldn't take any more pictures, nor bets on his fights, nor any of the other ways I make money off of him, then of course he just back handed me," Nabiki said, unaware that Ranma's grandfather was not amused.

"So he owes you money, for not getting extorted? Well when I find him, and get him to listen to me, I'm going to convince him to open up a law suit on you, because it sounds like you owe_ him _now you," he said, pointing at the amazons leaving a sweating and gaping Nabiki behind.

"Tribal laws, Shampoo give kiss of marriage to Ranma, meaning he airen," Shampoo said.

"Where was kiss given?" Sei asked curiously, since this might actually be a valid claim.

"In Tendo home," came the reply from the wizened crone. "of course now that we know he's related to Happosai, we might be able to avoid punishment, _might_."

"So you applied your tribal laws in a place that doesn't hold them as valid, next you," he said pointing at Soun the amazons, besides Mousse looked at each other, as they had never figured that other cultures might not think their laws are valid, just on location.

"He must marry Akane to join our schools," Soun said tearfully.

Rubbing his temples the old man looked at the streams developing in the roof, and replied, "First stop crying, you'll cause water damage to the school, next my father, your master, ended all engagements to Ranma, now you." he then pointed at Kasumi, leaving Soun literally crying mini rivers at the top of the school.

"I hope he remembers to pick up his stuff, and has a place to go. To be honest though, I'm happy to see him go, and I hope Genma goes as well, the house gets damaged too often," the young woman answered serenely.

"I'll tell Nodoka to bring her husband home, now you," he said pointing at a contemplative Mousse.

"Can I get back to you on that? The issue is complicated for me, on one hand he pretty much ended it with Shampoo, on the other, if she doesn't get him, she'll get punished," the nearly blind young man said.

"Fair enough, and finally you," he pointed to the heavily muscled young man whom had finished bandaging his shoulder.

"He made my life hell, he ran out on a duel when I arrived only four days late, got me cursed when I followed him to ___Jesenkyo_, he keeps beating me, takes girl I love, insults her, and finally stabs me when I try and get my revenge." Ryoga babbled, in too much pain from his stab wound to notice that Akane's mood had darkened.

"And what exactly is your curse," she asked grabbing Ukyo's spatula off of her back.

"Umm, well, it's..." Ryoga stammered.

"A black potbellied pig am I correct?" Kasumi said just loud enough to be heard.

"That's ridicules why would he..." Akane started but she then noticed that Ryoga has paled at the accusation.

"You Bastard!" Akane screamed.

"W-w-w-wait, I-i-i can explain," Ryoga said nervously.

"You used your cursed form to spy on me, and sleep in my bed. You could of said something but didn't," Akane yelled.

"Y-y-you don't understand, Ranma knew, so did Genma, and your father as well! I know he did, he saw me transform in his bath! Your sisters probably knew as well! It's all Ranma's fault anyway!" Ryoga said in a panicked voice.

"Ranma knowing, it was obvious, he gave so many hints, and I'll talk with my family later, but right now, it's your turn you bastard!" Akane yelled as she ran at Ryoga swinging the spatula wildly, the bandana wearing boy decided that this was a really good time to get lost, and left the roof.

"Give me back my spatula you jackass!" Ukyo yelled as she followed Akane and Ryoga off the roof.

Sei massaged his head due to a growing headache, and decided to finish, "I'll be at Nodoka's house tomorrow, anyone that has issues that they need to discuss with me come there, right now I need to sort through the information and get some sleep."

So saying he left a confused group, that dispersed to prepare their arguments that they have some sort of valid claim on Ranma.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ranma's group approached the, rather large, house belonging to the guy that promised aid, when a voice spoke up behind him.

"Ranma, we need to talk," Happosai said tiredly.

"Go away freak, I want nothing to do with you," Ranma replied through gritted teeth.

Reizna also replied, "Go away freak, nobody wants you here."

The old man looked at the two girls and sighed, noting that their ki was seriously distorted, and useless to him. "I just want to give you something, here, your certificate of mastery signed by myself." He then took out a scroll and held it out to Ranma.

Ranma looked at it and shook his head, while Mir chucked as she new what was coming even before Ranma opened his mouth to say, "No, I refuse. I gave up the anything goes style. Plus, I don't want anything connecting me to anyone in my past." Ranma then turned away, leaving a shocked grandmaster holding out a scroll, and watching his chosen heir walk away from him.

Happosai was many things, shortsighted, petty, perverted, ki vampire, and many other things, but one thing he couldn't be accused of is being stupid, he knew that if he wanted Ranma for an heir, he needed to get in his good graces. The problem is that he doesn't have any kind of opening to do so. No acts of kindness, nothing in the past to inspire good will, and since Ranma gave up the style, no offering of training. He did have two hopes though, that Ranma, being in a seemingly spectacularly bad mood, might lighten up, and that the black haired girl, whom he ad never seen before, might be more open to discussion.

So, with those thoughts in mind, he watched his chosen heir being let into a large home by a burly man that had the unmistakable shadow of a concealed holster under his arm.

End Chapter

Been along time eh?


End file.
